And They Lived Happily Ever After NOT!
by BELOVEDbyWAR
Summary: Dazed and irritated, a man in a faded trench coat stumbled through streets he once knew so well, but now bore no resemblance to the pictures he had committed to memory. *future!fic*
1. Chapter 1

**Title: And They lived Happily Ever After - NOT!****  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Henry/Mike (gen)  
Rating: PG  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary: ****Dazed and irritated, a man in a faded trench coat stumbled through streets he once knew so well, but now bore no resemblance to the pictures he had committed to memory****  
****Wc: 969  
A.N.: Thanks to ****wordstuck ****for taking over beta duties!****  
**

* * *

And they lived happily ever after – NOT!

"…and they lived happily ever after."

What a bunch of lies we tell our children! Happily ever after? Yeah sure, easy to say when everything is peachy and brand new, but once the novelty rubs off, what then? What happens when the princess and prince grow old and a younger, seemingly more exciting person comes along? What then?

Or ever wondered what kind of ticks and psychoses those poor princesses must have developed on their way to never-ending love? I mean, Cinderella's childhood wasn't exactly a trip to the park, now was it? Or Snow White? And where the hell is a fairy-godmother when you need one?

No, children life is anything but a fairytale. Unfortunately, the one thing about them that is right is the one aspect you'd never dare to believe, nor wish for: The Monsters.

They come in all shapes and forms, but one thing is for sure, once you know they are out there your life will never be as it was before. And try as you might; there is no escaping them…

---Mike Celluci

***

Dazed and irritated, a man in a faded trench coat stumbled through streets he once knew so well, but now bore no resemblance to the pictures he had committed to memory.

Where ever he walked everything resembled a battlefield. Houses were vandalized, streets destroyed and seamed with car wrecks. And not a person in sight!

It was a ghost town! Had the blond not lived and worked here for all his life, he wouldn't have been able to recognize his city. What had happened here? And why hadn't he noticed any of it?

He kept walking until on the far horizon he could make out the silhouette of the CN Tower, but something was wrong. The town's once unmistakable landmark, just like everything he had looked upon so far, was the worse for wear. The former light façade was now blackened by fire and several holes made it look as if a giant rat had nibbled on it as it would on a juicy carrot.

Everything seemed to have gone down the drain. He bet, this was how the people of New Orleans had felt when they returned to their destroyed neighborhoods after the evacuation.

No matter in which direction he looked, chaos was everywhere. Then suddenly, in the far north, he spied a faint column of smoke.

Finally! After all, where there was smoke there had to be (or recently have been) fire and fire normally meant humans, seeing that it wasn't exactly high summer in a dry area.

He picked up his pace as fast as he could – which wasn't very quick and made him wonder how he had gotten so out of shape – and managed to shift into a light jog until he reached the location where the smoke was rising up.

Mike had been right in the assumption that he might find people near by, but what he hadn't really counted on was the out right fight scene he was stumbling in.

To his utter dismay, half of the participants where still children, varying from the age of 12 to 18. Their opponents on the other hand looked strange. There was on aura of - he had no other word to describe it – 'evil' surrounding them. It made the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Then suddenly he caught sight of two seedy looking men cornering a girl of about 16 with ungodly smiles on their faces and he was done watching. Going with his gut-feeling and following the impulse, the need to protect, he crept up on one of them just in time to stop what would have been a tooth-rattling blow to the girl's pretty face by catching the fat fist in one of his big hands.

Surprised, the thug looked around and then up and up until he finally reached Mike's glaring blue gaze in utter astonishment.

"Wha-?" Was the only thing he managed to whisper before the cop's gigantic fist sent him to sleep with one mighty blow. Meanwhile the girl, a young woman really, had managed to hold her own and was delivering a series of impressive round house kicks, which sent her attacker stumbling backwards.

An alarm sent everyone stumbling apart. At first Mike didn't move but the girl's surprisingly strong grip coaxed him to follow her and just in time, because just the moment they were out of the open space a sickly looking green-yellow smoke crawled to where bare minutes ago the fighting had still been going. The vapor seemed to have a life of its own, and it looked as if it was searching for something.

Soon however, it vanished to the east. Only then did Mike dare to look around him. The adult's appeared to have used the distraction to vanish, and all that remained were the children, who had surrounded Mike from behind, and were looking at him skeptically, some even outright suspiciously.

"Who the hell are you!" The eldest boy, a tall black young man of about 18 years, demanded to know.

But before Mike could answer the girl from before had taken position between him and the group and pronounced:

"He helped me! Let him be, Thomas!"

Clearly surprised by her defense of a stranger, the by far taller boy backed down, which made Mike smirk a little. He could practically hear Crowley sneer:

'Still letting women fight the fight for you, Celluci?'

Carefully laying a hand on the girl's shoulder Mike stepped to her side.

"My name is Mike. Where are your parents? And what happened here just now?"

The kids looked at him as if he had grown another head.

"Parents?!" Another boy laughed mirthlessly. "Where have you been the last ten years, old timer?!"

* * *

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: And They lived Happily Ever After - NOT! (2/?)  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Henry/Mike (gen)  
Rating: PG-13  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary:A****n apparition from the past.  
****Wc: 878  
A.N.: Thanks to ****wordstuck ****for taking over beta duties!****  
**

* * *

It was getting late. The sun had set over an hour ago and Henry was livid from fear. Against his wishes his children kept patrolling the perimeter during the day, and as Bonny, the youngest, had just told him, the last group had not yet come back to camp.

He knew how important it was to secure the area, especially for the younger children among them, but he still didn't like the idea of such young humans having to take over that duty, even if some of them technically were even older than he'd been when he died. But those times had been different. He had been considered a man, had had a wife and would most possibly have been a father soon. Not to mention that he had had weapons training since the day he'd been able to walk.

A shout from one of the look-outs drew Henry out of his musings and informed him that the group was on their way back. With a relieved sigh, he walked in their direction to greet them and receive their reports, but once able to see the arriving humans, all he could do was stand there, frozen and blink unbelievingly at what he saw. Because what walked in his direction, surrounded by his kids, was an apparition from the past.

Looking equally surprised and slightly apprehensive, the man slowed his gait, until he finally came to a full stop, which the youths at his side unconsciously mimicked.

There was a sudden tension in the air and Henry simply didn't know how to react.

Ten years! The man had vanished a decade ago and now here he stood unchanged, tall and proud, towering over the children! He should be dead!

There was only one explanation and it filled Henry with rage that Astaroth had managed to defile the one of them that even Henry had hoped to have at least escaped the tragedy of the demon lord's reign, if not the consequence of having known the vampire.

With a snarl, he attacked the intruder. This could never be Celluci. It was another of Astaroth's taunts to remind Henry how powerful the demon had become, and that their small revolt was senseless.

Baring his teeth, he grabbed the tall imposter and ran him into one of the ruin's walls to hear a satisfactory 'oof' as the man impacted with the bricks.

"How dare you come here in this form?!" Henry hissed, and was just about to sink his teeth into the intruder's neck, as the blond started to laugh. Laugh! Henry backed off a few inches to take a closer look at his opponents face and was dumb struck.

Deep blue - not red , sparkling eyes looked at him defiantly and an all too familiar voice teased:

"Whew, nice to see you too, Fitzroy! Care to keep those fangs to yourself?! Last time I checked, I wasn't on the menu!"

Shocked and still not able to fully believe it, Henry whispered "Mike," before he acted on impulse, and completely against his normally carefully constructed façade.

***

One moment he found himself pinned against a nearly collapsing wall, fangs snapping for his throat, and the next he had his arms awkwardly full of Royal undead. Could the day get any stranger?

Softly Mike patted the vampires tense shoulders, clearly not comfortable with the situation, but the vice grip the bastard prince held him with didn't loosen up.

"Hmm, ah, Fitzroy?" When no response came Mike tried a different approach.

"Ahem, care to explain what happened to my city? And where is Vicki?"

This clearly caught the shorter man's attention. Before Mike could blink the vampire stood a few feet away, haughty air and regal pose back in place, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"MY city, you mean! And what do you mean what happened? Have you slept the last ten years? Astaroth, that is what happened!"

"Ten years?!" Mike took a few steps closer, "I wasn't-"

"Yes!" The smaller man cut him off. "And five years after you left our resistance broke. Not that I believe you could have made any difference, but maybe with you there, Vicki wouldn't…"

"WHAT?!" The blond caught his old nemesis by the shirt collar. "What happened? Where is she?"

"DEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Henry spat out before he softly, almost accusingly continued, "Or as good as…"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Take your hands OFF me!" the vampire stated with a deadly calm, but as always that only managed to redouble the blond's resistance.

"And what if I don't? You gonna hug me to death again?!"

Grey eyes bled black and the vampire commanded: "Unhand me – right – now!"

But to both males' surprise nothing happened. Mike only blinked once before he shook his head and grinned.

"Oh ho, don't your majesty's tricks work anymore?"

A growl later, Mike stood alone, well apart from the children, who looked at him with wide astounded eyes. Mike only hesitated a second before he went after the pompous brat.

"So, I guess they know each other?" Thomas stated coolly.

"No, really? What gave that away, genius?" Mike's little defender answered, before she herded all children inside the dilapidated church, into which the two adults had already vanished.

***

tbc

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: And They li****ved Happily Ever After - NOT! (3/?)  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Henry/Mike (gen)  
Rating: PG  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary: A very enlightening meal****.  
****Wc: 995  
A.N.: Thanks to ****wordstuck ****for taking over beta duties!**

* * *

"Yeah, sulk in the shadows, Fitzroy! Very mature!"

The children heard the blond man's voice boom through the church, even before they managed to meet up with him. Clearly, Henry had retreated to his crypt to be alone. And to be honest, the newcomer was right; it really was a little childish of their leader.

Regardless, they were curious who this strange person was, who could so easily fluster the otherwise so removed vampire.

"Won't do you any good." Jack, the loud-mouth, who'd called Mike 'Old Timer' before, said. "He doesn't answer if he's in this kind of mood unless there is an emergency."

"Oh, really? So he's 'pms-ing' regularly?!" The last part was spoken rather loudly and all the children grinned at the tall man, knowing that the remark would not have escaped the undead's sharp hearing.

"Well," Mike let out a deep breath."Seeing that his majesty won't honor me with an audience, how about you fill me in?"

"Sure," Mary – Mike's champion – agreed, "but first we have to eat, you can't cook by any chance?" she looked almost pleadingly.

Mike smiled at her then pronounced: "Hey, I'm Italian, what do you think?"

With big grins on their faces, the children nearly dragged him to the part of the ruin that had been selected to function as eating area, all the while asking him all kinds of questions. They never saw the shadow looking down from the organ balcony. Henry was only happy that he had hunted earlier that evening, otherwise Celluci wouldn't have anything to cook.

A sharp pain in his middle reminded him that he too hadn't fed in far too long. Sadly, unlike the children, he couldn't simply live on conies alone.

***

"So," Mike started, "I fed you, now pay up."

Still chewing, Jack began: "Well, I don't know how you could have missed it-"

"Jack!" Mary chided him.

"Alright, alright. OK, so, ahem, what do you wanna know?"

Mike looked around their surroundings.

"How did it come to this?"

"Mmh, I can't talk for the others, but for me it went like this: Ten years ago, there was this huge shock wave, and *boom*, first all electricity went. Then strange people appeared and talked stupid stuff and egged everyone on and before you knew it, people were fighting. Then the food got scarce, cause there weren't any stores anymore and folks fought even more. And yes, we tried to get out, but it's like there is this force field and you get, like, dusted when you touch it."

At this Mike looked around and all children nodded in agreement.

"So, people started to group up, but soon there were even more fights and the grown ups got more and more brutal, you know like on play station, really outright shootings and, ahem, other stuff…" the boy blushed, but a horrified expression ghosted over his features.

Mike got the picture and quickly tried to distract them from those terrible memories.

"So how did you met up with fang boy?"

"Oh!" At this all faces lit up. "There was another group and they actually helped people. There was this blonde woman, and her friend, you know, she was really cool, too much make-up, but totally great! Knew all sorts of things about demons and witches and all, and Henry hung with them."

Hearing this Mike got curious.

"What happened to them?"

At this, the children looked sheepishly at each other until Thomas took over narrating.

"We don't talk about it. Henry gets upset."

He waited until Mike nodded understandingly before he continued in a much softer tone.

"Around five years ago, there was basically no food and water left. Some crazy priest had hoarded everything and his gangs were terrorizing everybody. My Mum said the real problem was the water supply. He was pouring some strange chemical into it and people went nuts. I mean even more than before. There was like a big mass suicide and then this fog, you remember, like a few hours ago, appeared?"

Again Mike nodded.

"Yeah, so, this fog, you get in it and you get really, really sick, like what's it called? Consumption? Adults get in it and they get all hollow-eyed and next thing you know they are complete jerks!"

"Yeah!" All agreed, some looked quite sad. Now Mary took over:

"My mother dragged me out off it but didn't get out herself. At first I thought she had lost consciousness, but when I begged her to wake up, she slapped me and told me to finally grow up and quit being such a nuisance. That was the last time I saw her. Vicki, the blonde, found me. A week later we were all starving and there was no water left. I remember her and Henry having a giant argument. The next day she'd vanished. We never saw her again, but somehow all over town fresh water springs sprang to life and for a time all was good again."

"That is quite enough storytelling for one evening!" The vampire's cold voice ended anything else Mary might have told Mike for the moment and Thomas mouthed a 'told you so' to Mike, before all the children collected their plates, put them in a water basin and finally went to their sleeping places.

Once alone Mike nonchalantly got up and started to do the dishes, completely ignoring the vampire. After all, two could play that game! Unfortunately Henry didn't take the bait. And after minutes of feeling the other man's eyes on him Mike grabbed a towel from close by and threw it over his shoulder at Henry.

"Since you have nothing to do, here, make yourself useful!"

That being said, Mike dried his hands and followed the kids, but before he could get more than a few feet away, he was stopped by a hand on his wrist and pulled in a different direction.

"Quit the bullshit, Mike. You'll be sleeping in my bed."

***

tbc

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: And They li****ved Happily Ever After - NOT! (4/?)  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Henry/Mike (gen)  
Rating: PG  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary: Sleeping arrangements****.  
****Wc: 874  
A.N.: Thanks to ****wordstuck ****for taking over beta duties!**

* * *

Mike dug his feet in the ground.

"Whoa, wait just a second! I'll be doing what?"

Henry only looked at him with an impatient gaze.

"I mean, I got that you missed me," hearing this, the vampire sighed, "but don't you think that's a bit much?"

"Detective," Henry spoke as if to a very small child. "I never thought that **I** would be the one to have to remind **you** of what I am."

A blond eyebrow rose in question.

"Please, there is absolutely no reason to fear for your virtue, I merely meant that, since we are lacking even the most basic comforts, you may - should you wish to do so - sleep in my bed during the night and I will take it during the day. Or do you, by any chance, have a spare sleeping bag hidden somewhere?"

Mike shook his head, dumbstruck. He had enjoyed teasing Fitzroy, but their conversation quickly reminded him of how serious the situation really was that he had found himself in. Just minutes ago he had to use all his tricks to stretch the meat and other provisions so that no child had to go to bed on an empty stomach. How could he have forgotten?

"Oh well, then lead the way."

"Gladly."

Mike followed Henry, all the while taking in where they were going. First they crossed the nave, then hidden in a column, there was a way down. Here, Henry handed him a candle, before they continued on their way. Mike swallowed as he took the first step into the dark passage. He could hardly see a thing and the way lead down slippery stairs. Very carefully he took step after step until they finally reached the bottom.

It smelled musty, but the air was surprisingly warm. Before he knew it Henry had opened a door, and moments later candles were lit and Mike got his first look on where he was supposed to spend the night.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Detective-"

"This is a crypt!"

"Yes."

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you've rediscovered your roots and all, but really?! That's a little too Bram Stoker for me!"

Mike was just about to turn when he heard the challenging voice.

"Why detective, you aren't afraid of a few engraved marble plates, are you? I never would have thought."

Turning back, Mike took another look. All in all, it wasn't so bad. Henry had put a sturdy table with accompanying chairs in one corner, there was a chest - he presumed - the bastard's clothes were in, and impossible to overlook, in the centre, on top of what appeared to be one mother of a coffin, lay what Mike supposed was Henry's old mattress.

Resigned, he took a step closer. He continued, until he reached the 'bed'. Giving it a try, Mike sat down and was positively surprised at how comfy it felt. He shouldn't have been. After all, once a bastard prince always a bastard prince, right?!

Looking up, he met the vampire's amused gaze.

"Well, I guess this gives the words creature comfort a whole new meaning."

Henry only rolled his eyes before he turned to leave the room.

"I'll look, see if I can find you some bedding. Make yourself at home, Mike." The smaller man said, already on his way back upstairs.

"Don't mind if I do." Mike called after him. It still felt strange to him, but after everything he had experienced that day, he was more than happy to rest his weary bones for a bit. Thinking this, he couldn't keep the dry chuckle at bay. This day was simply packed with double entendres.

***

When Henry returned, the blond was already asleep. Carefully, he peeled off the trench coat Celluci had wrapped around himself and replaced it with a warm, fluffy blanket. He laid the garment over one chair, then turned to look at the man occupying his bed.

He still couldn't believe that it was really true. The man hadn't aged a day since he had last seen him! But it somehow was, Henry had no doubt. Carefully, not wanting to disturb the sleeping man, he sat down on the mattress and just looked. He took everything in. The lightly tanned skin, the rough eight o'clock stubble, the disheveled blond hair, the all too familiar jaw bones –

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

The man mumbled sleepily, as he turned to his side. Henry failed to inform him that there were no cameras left to take a photo with, but contemplated drawing one. He hadn't drawn in years and suddenly realized how much he missed it.

A grin spread on his face as he imagined the blond's reaction if Henry were to ask him to 'pose'. Now all that nice skin and muscle, hidden under the slack clothes, that would indeed make a nice motive to draw...

A cramp in his stomach reminded him what else that big strong body could provide him with. Appalled by the direction his thoughts had turned, Henry quickly left the sleeping man alone. After all, he had to watch over his children and the night held many dangers, now more than ever.

***

tbc

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: And They li****ved Happily Ever After - NOT! (5/?)  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Mike, Vicki/Henry  
Rating: PG  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary: What happened to Mike?****  
****Wc: 1362  
A.N.: Thanks to ****wordstuck ****for taking over beta duties!**

* * *

The next morning Mike woke with a jerk not knowing where he was. Everything around him was pitch black and the air was stale.

Slowly, he fully woke and remembered the previous day's occurrences. He still couldn't believe that he was actually ten years in the future from the last time he could remember! But he did remember. How could he not?

_It had been __four weeks since the exorcism in Fitzroy's condo, four fucking weeks since his life went down the drain. His hearing had been two weeks after and Crowley had finally been successful. Despite having brought crucial information to the case, she had cataloged all his little transgressions, insubordinations and unauthorized vanishing acts of the past year, but what had really cost him everything was his sharing classified information with a civilian. Nobody was on his side after that came out. Not even Kate, or Dave._

_He had taken the news with dignity and walked out with his head held high__, even when on the inside he was yelling up to the sky. After that he had been angry. He had worked out his frustration in the gym and spent - once he was finally calm again - all the time he could with his nephew. However, even that was spoiled when he couldn't ignore his sister's concerned glances anymore. After that he withdrew, that is until one night when Coreen had stood at his door and begged him to at least return one of Vicki's calls. He had somehow managed to avoid Vicki, until she had finally given up stalking him, but she still called every day._

_At first Mike didn't react, but then eventually even the calls stopped and he suddenly realized how alone he really was. That last night he had spent with Dylan until the boy fell asleep. Mike had carried him up to bed before he left, but once outside he didn't want to return to his empty home. For what seemed like hours he drove through town until without consciously deciding it, he stood before Vicki's door, but didn't dare to knock. He had almost left again, chiding himself for his foolishness, when he heard the loud sob from inside. What followed broke his heart once and for all. _

_He had be__en about to ring the bell, wanting to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright again, when he'd realized she wasn't alone. Somebody had been inside with her, and he would have been able to recognize the smooth tones anywhere; it had been her damned vampire._

_With trepidation he'd overheard them, and if there had ever been anything in his whole life he would have wished to be able to erase from his memory, it would have been the words he had heard._

"_Henry, please don't, don't leave!"_

"_There is nothing here for me anymore, you made that abundantly clear, Victoria." The bastard had actually managed to sound as hurt - if not more - as she._

"_I was wrong!" S__he had sobbed then. Mike had never heard her this emotionally. It made him want to comfort her even more. That is, until he heard what she said next._

"_I want you Henry, I always have, but I had an obligation to Mike." His heart had torn, then. An obligation, that's all he was to her. Numb, he listened to what followed._

"_And what am I? Think carefully Vicki. Anything, but the truth and you will never see me again."_

_She had taken a deep breath, but then she said what he had always wanted to hear her saying to him._

"_I love you." The words had been spoken softly, but to Mike it was as if she had shouted them with all her might._

_After that his memory was__ unclear, but he believed he heard the vampire ask about him._

"_It's over." Had been all she had answered, cold and clinical._

_After that he had left, feeling dead inside. It must have been hours after - he didn't quite know what he had done the whole time - but shortly before sunrise, he stood in front of the entrance to his church and looked up to the tower. He had never been a very God fearing person, but that morning he had prayed. Had prayed and ranted and howled, until he finally sank to his knees, completely burned-out. After all, what good was his life when he wasn't needed, nor wanted?_

_That was the last he remembered before waking in this time under a pile of debris._

Shaking his head to expel those hurtful memories, Mike felt around him, and froze when his hand touched another one's.

'Oh, crap!'

But then it came to him. He was in a crypt. A crypt, for heavens sake! And even worse, in the vampire's bed! Stop! And the worse of all, he was in a crypt with the vampire lying next to him in said bastard's bed. Yup, hell had officially frozen over!

Carefully, Mike turned on his side and reached over the other man's unmoving body to search for the matches he had seen there lying on a book. At that moment he cursed the vamp for having such a big bed, because he had to almost drape himself over Fitzroy to get to what he wanted. He ended up almost lying on top of the unmoving figure before his fingers finally brushed the matchbox.

A sigh later, he was back on his side and lit a match. The first thing he searched for was a candle. Having found and lit it, he allowed himself the luxury to look around. Everything was as the night before, only this time the chairs in the corner were occupied with clothes. On one he spotted his coat on the other he spied what Fitzroy had worn that night. Mike's eyes widened and with a hard swallow, he turned and looked at his bed partner. He was almost shamefully relieved as he spotted PJ bottoms on the other man and laughed at his juvenile behavior. The next thing he realized was that somebody had exchanged his coat for a blanket. How thoughtful. Mike looked around for another couple of minutes, before his curiosity finally won out. Slowly he turned to his right and took a closer look.

He had always imagined Fitzroy looking like a corpse during the day, hands folded over his chest, but it wasn't so. To anyone watching the vampire appeared to just be sleeping soundly. Well at least as long as you didn't realize he wasn't breathing. He looked almost innocent with that curly hair and long lashes. Curious, the ex-cop touched the undead's hand very carefully with the tip of his finger, eyes always looking for any quick movements. When nothing happened, he guessed that it was another of Hollywood's myths. Getting bolder, he felt the unmoving wrist for a pulse. Frowning, he looked at the serene face. He believed there had been something, but wasn't sure. Looking at the unmoving chest he made a decision and carefully laid his head on it. One thing he had to admit, for some on who officially had the body of a youngster Henry was quite ripped. Thoughts back on the topic, he listened closely and – there. Very weak, but still there, was the faintest of heart beats; slower somehow, almost undetectable, but none the less there. Man, another myth gone. Damn!

A loud bang made Mike virtually jump out of the bed and it took a moment before his heart stopped racing.

"Mike? You up?" Came one of the boys' voices through the door and Mike only grinned sheepishly, before answering:

"If I hadn't been, I sure as hell would be now! Just a second!"

Donning his shoes and straightening his clothes, he was ready to go, but before he opened the door, Mike looked around once more and in a moment of weakness went back to the bed and draped his discarded blanket over the still figure, before he collected the lit candle and went to join the children, already mulling over what he could serve for breakfast.

***

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: And They lived Happily Ever After - NOT! (6/?)  
Author: BELOVEDbyWAR  
Pairing: Mike, Vicki, Henry  
Rating: PG  
TV verse: Blood Ties  
Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money.****  
****Warnings: Future!fic  
Summary: Mike falls down a hole.****  
****Wc: 1710  
A.N.: Thanks to luvinmike for betaing despite being sick****!**

* * *

**And they lived happily ever after – NOT! (6/?)  
**

Breakfast turned out rather well. Mike couldn't believe that nobody had thought of it, but pancakes were actually quite a simple dish to prepare and they had all the ingredients he needed. Mike would never forget the faces of the children looking at him as if he had put a five star menu before them. Sadly, there was no maple syrup, but beggars couldn't be choosers. The children didn't seem to mind very much.

Bellies, if not filled, were at least momentarily satisfied and they started the day. The youngsters showed a surprising discipline.

After breakfast, the oldest children took charge of the younger ones. They divided themselves in groups and, believe it or not, did school work. While the smallest learned to read and write, the older ones worked on their math skills, talked in pairs about books they had read, or practiced other languages, etc. Mike was dumb struck.

Realizing that he wasn't needed at the moment, Mike decided to look around a bit.

***

At first, he didn't recognize where he had wandered off to, but soon he found himself well on the way to his former home.

He sighed in disappointment at the pile of bricks he found. It seemed as if some vandal had torched the place. Even now, though it must have been a few years since it had happened, the stones still were darkened with soot and ashes.

The only thing that redeemed the place was the beautiful rosebushes his mother had planted in his garden. They were beautiful, wild, and untamed and had spread evenly over the debris with blossoms of the deepest red and delivered their wonderful scent over the whole area.

Seeing that there were so many, Mike decided to bring some of them back to the church. He imagined that at least the girls would be able to appreciate them, and perhaps even his undead highness.

So he picked one blossom after the other. All went well until he felt a thorn nick his thumb.

Surprised by the sudden pain, he took an unsteady step back.

It was then that the stone pile beneath his feet gave way and he fell a few feet down to land in his cellar!

Who would have guessed? Even though the building above had completely collapsed, the rooms below were still intact!

Groaning, he looked up and found that the roses were completely obscuring the opening he had fallen through. Dare he risk exploring the rest of his cellar? Perhaps there was something here they could use!

And indeed there was! Though sadly the vegetables had gone bad, he found tins of survival rations, so at least there was something he could feed to the kids.

He located some dried pasta that still looked edible and his camping gear! He lucked upon some old clothes he had wanted to give away, but now needed himself. Hell, even his weapons were still in the weapons closet! He was such a lucky bastard!

Mentally cataloguing what was there, he searched for his ladder. After putting some of the food in a backpack and collecting what of his camping stuff he could carry, he climbed back up. Making sure no one was around, he left the thorny protection of the rose bushes. Wanting not to leave a trace, he picked up the roses he had dropped and quickly made his way back to the church, all the while watching out for anybody that might follow him, or even worse, the mysterious yellow mist.

***

Back 'home,' he was greeted by an assembly of children that appeared to have been informed by the lookout that 'Daddy' had come home bearing gifts.

The moment he was close enough, one piece after another was taken from him and curiously inspected.

Mike hadn't realized how heavy his booty had been until he had even been relieved of his backpack.

Groaning, he leaned back until a loud pop was heard.

He sat down on a collapsed column and watched the children's excitement with satisfaction.

After a few minutes rest he told them about his findings. After that, it only took fifteen minutes to organize a small group to return with him to salvage anything else that could be of use. They decided against a bigger group so as not to attract attention.

***

When Henry finally awoke, he was surprised by what greeted him.

Not only was the whole camp filled with a delicious smell, but also with children's excited voices. Curious as to what had them in such an uproar, he quickly went upstairs. The closer he got to the 'dining room' the better he could make out what was being said and he was utterly surprised to discover Celluci reading them a story out of what looked like a big, old book.

"…Finally he came to the tower and opened the door to the little room where Little Briar-Rose was sleeping. There she lay and was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her.-"

Here some of the girls sighed.

"He bent over and gave her a kiss." The younger boys made gagging sounds, which made Henry in turn smile.

"When he touched her with the kiss, Little Briar-Rose opened her eyes, awoke, and looked at him kindly. They went downstairs together, and the king awoke, and the queen, and all the royal attendants, and they looked at one another in amazement. The horses in the courtyard stood up and shook themselves. The hunting dogs jumped and wagged their tails. The pigeons on the roof pulled their little heads out from beneath their wings, looked around, and flew into the field. The flies on the walls crept about again. The fire in the kitchen rose up, broke into flames, and cooked the food. The roast began to sizzle once again. The cook boxed the boy's ears, causing him to cry, and the maid finished plucking the chicken.

And then the prince's marriage to Little Briar-Rose was celebrated with great splendor, - " Here the man paused looked around and said clearly expecting the children to know what was coming now.

"And…."

"THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER!" came the chorus, upon which the man chuckled and stated:

"Actually it is 'and they lived happily until they died', but I like your version better!" He winked at them before closing the book.

Shouts of 'another one' and 'more' could be heard until the blond raised his hand to silence them.

"Tomorrow, I promise, but now relax a little and then, at least for some of you, it's time to go to bed!"

And his tone allowed no argument. Subdued but content, the children cleared out, leaving their dirty dishes in the established basin.

Once he was spotted, Henry was immediately surrounded and quickly pulled away by a horde of small hands and excited voices telling him everything that had happened today.

It was over an hour before Henry could escape his adoring subjects. He quickly returned to the kitchen area to find all the dishes clean and some of the older children drying the last few.

He quickly asked about the whereabouts of the blond. They didn't know, but assumed him to be either outside or already in bed.

Apparently, the man had taken a nasty fall and had a sore back.

***

Celluci wasn't to be found outside, but, sadly, neither was he in Henry's crypt. Preparing to return upstairs to continue his search, Henry was pleasantly surprised to be joined by the other man.

Mike clearly had freshened up a bit, seeing that his hair was still wet and a clammy towel was wadded in one of his big hands.

"Fitzroy," he greeted Henry.

"Michael. I hear you had an eventful day," the vampire answered.

"Yup," was the short reply, as the man hung the towel to dry and then, completely unconcerned about either the location or the company, flopped down on the mattress and let out a relieved groan.

"You are quite good with the children."

Hearing this, Mike turned to the vamp now hovering at his side. His slight grimace as he twisted his torso did not go unnoticed, but before Henry could do anything, cold blue eyes froze him mid-movement.

"Surprised, Fitzroy? Yeah. How could I be good at anything, right?!"

The enraged man tried to leave, but the moment he sat up, his hand grabbed the small of his back and Mike gritted his teeth in pain.

"Arrgg, SHIT!"

Rolling his eyes, Henry carefully pushed the man on his side and started to push here and there until the human could at least uncurl again.

Then he rolled Mike on his stomach, kicked off his own shoes, and straddled the man's hips. Before any complaints could be uttered, he dug the heels of his hands into both sides of the human's spine and let them wander further up, always pushing down when the man breathed out.

"Why –" Push.

"do –" Push.

"you – Push.

"have – " Pop.

Mike gasped in surprise.

"to – " Push.

"al – " Push.

"ways - " Pop.

"Mis – " Push.

"under-" Pop.

"stand –" Pop followed by a deep groan.

"me?!"

The last pop was quite loud and the sound the blond made sounded suspiciously carnal.

Completely limp, Celluci lay there in silence. Only after Henry sighed in disappointment, left the bed, and turned to leave did the former cop respond in a slurred voice:

"Old habits die hard?"

It was more a question than a statement.

Catching the man's eyes, Henry asked in turn:

"How about turning over a new leaf?"

A slight nod was his answer before the glazed eyes closed again.

It was just before Henry closed the door that he heard one last whisper:

"Thanks, Henry."

Smiling, Henry shut the door and went upstairs, ready to hear the next version of Mike and the children's big day.

***

tbc


End file.
